Equity and justice in medical education: mapping a longitudinal curriculum across 4 years

Abstract

Abstract Background In 2024 in the United States there is an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within education. Politics notwithstanding, medical school curricula that are current and structured to train the next generation of physicians to adhere to our profession’s highest values of fairness, humanity, and scientific excellence are of utmost importance to health care quality and innovation worldwide. Whereas the number of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ARDEI) curricular innovations have increased, there is a dearth of published longitudinal health equity curriculum models. In this article, we describe our school’s curricular mapping process toward the longitudinal integration of ARDEI learning objectives across 4 years and ultimately creation of an ARDEI medical education program objective (MEPO) domain. Methods Medical students and curricular faculty leaders developed 10 anti-racism learning objectives to create an ARDEI MEPO domain encompassing three ARDEI learning objectives. Results A pilot survey indicates that medical students who have experienced this curriculum are aware of the longitudinal nature of the ARDEI curriculum and endorse its effectiveness. Conclusions A longitudinal health equity and justice curriculum with well-defined anti-racist objectives that is (a) based within a supportive learning environment, (b) bolstered by trusted, structured avenues for student feedback and (c) amended with iterative revisions is a promising model to ensure that medical students are equipped to effectively address health inequities and deliver the highest quality of care for all patients.

Keywords

• Health equity
• Anti-racism
• Curricular mapping
• Curriculum
• Undergraduate medical education